Afternoon folks!
So. Netlists. Some people love them, some people loathe them, and some people aren't at all fussed.
But are they actually a problem?
To me, they have upsides and downsides. Upsides, they can give an insight into how a given army might work on the battlefield, which is pretty invaluable to new comers. They also tend to involve a minimum of conversions to field, with a couple of exceptions (like Jetbike mounted Seer Councils). For people on a tight budget, they enable you to assemble a force with minimal cost wastage.
Downsides? Typical issue of received wisdom. Just because someone says a given list is good, doesn't mean a great deal in the grand scheme of things, and can lead to some units being maligned for little good reason (though this is not universal. Some units really are just a bit duff). And another one...it sets a certain entry level. 40k can be played at pretty much any points value of 500 upwards, but Netlists can help to create an image that a given points limit is the actual practical minimum. This can potentially lead to some feeling locked out by price when it's not necessarily true.
So how do you feel about them? Are they a necessary part of the game, are they an abomination unto Nuggan*
*Nuggan is a God from Terry Pratchett's Discworld. For more info, go read Monstrous Regiment